[Translation] +act June 2017 - Code blue producer comment
I just finished a translation after such a long time :) It's amatuer translation, so feel free to correct. It's interesting to know how Aizawa came about and his thoughts on Pi.
Comment from Code Blue producer Masumoto Jun
Once it was decided we were doing Code Blue together, I watched Yamashita's drama Nobuta wo Produce, Kurosagi and Proposal Daisakusen, I remembered thinking he has the image of a naive and soft modern-day young man which has permeated society. A handsome, urban look with slender contours. From that, as I started creating Aizawa's (played by Yamashita) character, I imagined that he has talent but a bit sensitive. However, when I actually met him, I got a sense of toughness and wildness, so I wanted to challenge him by drawing out a new appeal that was never done before, and the setting was changed. 'He's just a bit different from young people nowadays, a mentally strong and hard to deal with character. What's more, he has a bit of a bad aura where one wrong step might make audience hate him', something like that. "What do you think of trying this challenge?", I remember explaining this at the 1st season's presentation. During the clothes fitting, as Yamashita wore the blue scrub, his face looked like a doctor who has gone through so many bloody scenes, exactly as I imagined. In fact, when watching on location, he would bring out part of his own darker shade in a good way. Talking without big expression, and the atmosphere his presence was able to create was wonderful. To have made a character that he would say, "This has become my representative work", I was pleased.
1 year later after the 1st season. In the 2nd season, he was as reliable as always. Yamashita remembers things very fast. The operation scenes were really troublesome. "After taking this equipment, say this line, make eye contact with the camera on the other side, then...", there was a lot of this type of sequences. Especially for Aizawa, he has to do those without hesitating. However, he got it after watching it once. Without taking any notes, he somehow watched the hand movements of the guidance doctor, then was like "I think I got it". That hasn't changed since 1st season, as expected. With the acting, the 5 of them already understand their character very well, so I thought that they can continue like that, but if we can make one thing happen, I wanted them to show the "uncertainty" during the process of growth. Aizawa, who never make much mistakes and was very dry towards patients, also had a lot of troubled scenes in 2nd Season. So I told him I didn't want the "strong-willed point of view" like before, I want a slightly naive side. As a result, he expressed it splendidly, he created it himself with that hairstyle and a visual that feels a little gentle.
You can feel through two seasons, Yamashita's charm is that look, is it not? He can wear a certain darkness, on top of that, he can have a mainstream feature, but it is very rare for an actor to have those two coexist together. Actually he has a great part about him which I didn't thought of (laughs). There's no "I can't do that", he doesn't put himself in a box. He would suggest "It seems interesting. Let me try", filled with curiosity and willing to challenge. I'm grateful as the creator, every time there's a new discovery, we collaborate together which is fun. He's extremely polite, pays attention to his surrounding, he relied on us, and is willing to be entrusted to us. With some things there's an unwavering confidence. The confidence from fighting his way through the competition since young in Johnny's Jimusho, plus the experiences that piled up with time. With that kind of foundation, I think that's why he can say it straight, "Let me try".
This July, after 7 years, all 5 of them are together to welcome the 3rd season, I'm really happy and grateful. It's not just Yamashita, those 5 are very professional and ambitious, I told them I want to do this, they each thought about it and came back, it's the ideal team. Needless to say, they each have grown 7 years in their own way. In the 3rd season, they become the person in charge in their own field and they become the teacher. Facing patients, dealing with subordinates, the clashing of a "doctor's principles", that collision and mutual recognition will be the central point of the team this time. Naturally the skills as a doctor goes up, also as a person, how will Yamashita portray Aizawa after 7 years of growth, I look forward to it.
Comment from Code Blue producer Masumoto Jun
Once it was decided we were doing Code Blue together, I watched Yamashita's drama Nobuta wo Produce, Kurosagi and Proposal Daisakusen, I remembered thinking he has the image of a naive and soft modern-day young man which has permeated society. A handsome, urban look with slender contours. From that, as I started creating Aizawa's (played by Yamashita) character, I imagined that he has talent but a bit sensitive. However, when I actually met him, I got a sense of toughness and wildness, so I wanted to challenge him by drawing out a new appeal that was never done before, and the setting was changed. 'He's just a bit different from young people nowadays, a mentally strong and hard to deal with character. What's more, he has a bit of a bad aura where one wrong step might make audience hate him', something like that. "What do you think of trying this challenge?", I remember explaining this at the 1st season's presentation. During the clothes fitting, as Yamashita wore the blue scrub, his face looked like a doctor who has gone through so many bloody scenes, exactly as I imagined. In fact, when watching on location, he would bring out part of his own darker shade in a good way. Talking without big expression, and the atmosphere his presence was able to create was wonderful. To have made a character that he would say, "This has become my representative work", I was pleased.
1 year later after the 1st season. In the 2nd season, he was as reliable as always. Yamashita remembers things very fast. The operation scenes were really troublesome. "After taking this equipment, say this line, make eye contact with the camera on the other side, then...", there was a lot of this type of sequences. Especially for Aizawa, he has to do those without hesitating. However, he got it after watching it once. Without taking any notes, he somehow watched the hand movements of the guidance doctor, then was like "I think I got it". That hasn't changed since 1st season, as expected. With the acting, the 5 of them already understand their character very well, so I thought that they can continue like that, but if we can make one thing happen, I wanted them to show the "uncertainty" during the process of growth. Aizawa, who never make much mistakes and was very dry towards patients, also had a lot of troubled scenes in 2nd Season. So I told him I didn't want the "strong-willed point of view" like before, I want a slightly naive side. As a result, he expressed it splendidly, he created it himself with that hairstyle and a visual that feels a little gentle.
You can feel through two seasons, Yamashita's charm is that look, is it not? He can wear a certain darkness, on top of that, he can have a mainstream feature, but it is very rare for an actor to have those two coexist together. Actually he has a great part about him which I didn't thought of (laughs). There's no "I can't do that", he doesn't put himself in a box. He would suggest "It seems interesting. Let me try", filled with curiosity and willing to challenge. I'm grateful as the creator, every time there's a new discovery, we collaborate together which is fun. He's extremely polite, pays attention to his surrounding, he relied on us, and is willing to be entrusted to us. With some things there's an unwavering confidence. The confidence from fighting his way through the competition since young in Johnny's Jimusho, plus the experiences that piled up with time. With that kind of foundation, I think that's why he can say it straight, "Let me try".
This July, after 7 years, all 5 of them are together to welcome the 3rd season, I'm really happy and grateful. It's not just Yamashita, those 5 are very professional and ambitious, I told them I want to do this, they each thought about it and came back, it's the ideal team. Needless to say, they each have grown 7 years in their own way. In the 3rd season, they become the person in charge in their own field and they become the teacher. Facing patients, dealing with subordinates, the clashing of a "doctor's principles", that collision and mutual recognition will be the central point of the team this time. Naturally the skills as a doctor goes up, also as a person, how will Yamashita portray Aizawa after 7 years of growth, I look forward to it.